Park Facilities
Blue Jay Point County Park has a variety of facilities available to you. From the Blue Jay Center to trails to picnic areas to fishing. Click on the items below to learn more about our facilities.
Blue Jay Center for Environmental Education
The Blue Jay Center houses an exhibit hall that explores many environmental and natural resource themes. Water is the focus of the first set of exhibits, offering a glimpse of the water cycle, the Neuse River basin, the Falls Lake watershed, and the city's reliance on Falls Lake for its supply of drinking water. The next series of exhibits offers visitors a look at many of the perils currently impacting the local environment, and highlights steps citizens can take toward its preservation. Finally, the Nature Discovery Room allows visitors an up-close look at the natural habitats found at Blue Jay Point, exploring the plants, animals and ecology of the fields, forests and streams of the park.
The Blue Jay Center is also the base for the park's environmental education programs. We have two indoor classrooms that are used for programs, workshops and environmental education resource professional meetings.
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Gardens and Study Pond
This area, located next to the Blue Jay Center for Environmental Education, gives visitors ideas for their own backyard wildlife habitat and native plantings. The gardens and pond are also important staging areas for many of our environmental education programs.
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Overnight Lodge
Blue Jay Point's Overnight Lodge exists to turn environmental education into a prolonged experience. Our overnight facility is used exclusively for this purpose. For more information on the Lodge, its amenities, requirements and reservations, please read our information on the Overnight Lodge.
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Hiking and Walking Trails
There are four miles of trails within the park. For a trail map, please see pages 3-4 of Blue Jay Point's brochure. Remember: ALL dogs must remain on a 6-foot leash.
Walk our Azalea Loop Trail for an interpretive experience. At the trail head, pick up an Interpretive Guide for the season. Information in the guide corresponds with numbered posts along the trail.
Hikers seeking extended trail opportunities will discover that Blue Jay's Section VI of the Falls Lake Trail connects with North Carolina's Falls Lake Trail, thus extending the hiking opportunities well beyond the boundaries of Blue Jay Point -- NC Falls Lake Trail Map, turn-by-turn description, and start-finish shortened description.
Mountain biking is not allowed on Blue Jay Point's trails. For mountain biking opportunities in the RTP area, please visit Triangle MTB.
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Picnic Areas
Blue Jay Point has several picnic areas with tables and grills. The tables are in shaded areas, not shelters. Use of picnic areas is on a first-come, first-served basis, with no reservations. If you are planning to bring a large group (75+ people) out to the park, please read our Big Group Trip Tips.
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Playgrounds
Blue Jay Point has a Tot Lot playground for 2-5-year-olds and a Kids Lot for 5-12-year-olds.
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Open Play Field
This large open area is ideal for flying kites, throwing Frisbees, and just relaxing in the sun. Remember: all dogs must remain on a 6-foot leash. If you are planning on bringing a large group (75+ people) out to the park, please read our Big Group Trip Tips.
Blue Jay Point does not offer organized sports. Please contact your local municipality's Parks and Recreation Department for information on organized sports.
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Fishing Areas
The shores of Blue Jay Point provide informal bank fishing in Falls Lake. NOTE: All N.C. Inland Freshwater Fishing Regulations apply. Please be aware of the new fishing license requirement -- all anglers ages 16 years and older, using any type of bait or gear must possess a valid North Carolina fishing license.
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